Skelmersdale man publishes book on Saudi life

Teacher Simon Valentine recently returned from living in the 'desert Kingdom'

A Skelmersdale man has written a book about his experiences of researching and witnessing extremist religious practices in Saudi Arabia.

'Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond' details Simon Ross Valentine's experiences in the notoriously oppressive regime, which include meeting members of the Saudi royal family and having his bedroom raided by police at 1am over accusations of criticising the state.

Simon attended Roby Hill Primary School and UpHolland Grammar School before going on to earn a PhD is Islamic Studies. He has worked as a lecturer in Religious Studies and even assisted with counter-­terrorism police, while he also works as a Methodist Preacher.

He decided to visit the country after hearing his Pakistani Muslim friends' tales of being physically and verbally abused while on Pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

“Islam is a tolerant religion but Wahhabism is the puritanical form. I had to go to Saudi to find answers, to see if it was true. I wanted to know: 'How do they interpret the Koran? How do they justify their actions?'”

Simon saw the darkest side of the country as he witnessed the execution of an adulterer.

“One Friday, I arrived and literally 50 armed officers with revolvers were there. They dragged a man screaming and held him to the ground.

“I was frightened because I stood out like a sore thumb. They dragged and told me: 'This is justice. You're soft in the West, this is how it should be done.'

"Then they put the body in a plastic bag and hosed the ground. I was scared out of my mind.”

The main theme of the book is a description of Wahhabism, a strict form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia which bans women from driving; demands complete gender segregation in public and even bans Valentine’s day as immoral.

“This book is not about every day, mainstream Islam which is a religion of peace and tolerance, worthy of respect. Instead, it describes Wahhabism, an intolerant, supremacist sect, which unfortunately distorts Islam into something extreme and fanatical”.

Despite the notorious secrecy of the oppressive regime in Saudi Arabia. Simon managed to make contacts far and wide, even speaking to a Prince while in Jeddah.